Ladies and Gentlemen, The 49th Hunger Games!
by JamieOdair
Summary: A boy from District 12, Jamie Everdeen, volunteers to save his best friend, Clay Hawthorne, from the deadly Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own The Hunger Games. Secondly, i would like to thank pacesettergurl18 for her amazing editing work. Check out her stories if you like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games**

I grab my arrows that Clay gave me and I begin to run to a spot on a hill that overlooks a valley. Since we were eleven, the time we became friends, we have been meeting here. Most of my happy memories take place with Clay there, which is why it's so special to me. But this day, Reaping Day, it's all different. How can you be happy, how can you be cheerful, when you know that there are sixteen pieces of paper with your name on it, sitting in a big glass bowl just itching to be picked? This thought doesn't exactly help my anxious mood, so I quickly think about other things. Like Clay's chances of being picked. How can I be so selfish, knowing his name is written on twenty-eight slips of paper? Really, if anybody should be worried, it would be him. Nobody our age has as many entrances as he does. By time he is eighteen, the number will be astronomically high. Again, this thought makes me shudder, so I brush that thought away too.

Up ahead, I can just make out the faint outline of Clay through the morning mist. At nearly 5'11, he is really not that hard to miss.

"Hey Hawthorne!" I call out, grinning at the thought of his comeback.

Clay turns around and my smile quickly fades from my face. It's written all over his features. Fear. Fear of being reaped.

"Hey," he responds, and turns his head away. His nervousness is starting to get to me. Clay is the consistently brave one. Not me. So it's hard not to share the anxiety.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," I say in the affected Capitol accent jokingly, nudging him in the ribs. Usually an antic like that would have gotten a laugh out of him, but he doesn't even smile.

"But the odds aren't in my favor," he whispers quietly. This immediately wipes the weak smile off my face.

"You won't get reaped," I say, but my voice isn't certain. Clay picks up on it to.

"But what if I do?" he asks, more to himself than me. He starts picking at a blade of dewy grass absentmindedly. I can tell that there is a lot on his mind.

"You won't," I say more firmly, and tug the grass out of his hand. "Now let's get some game to eat when we watch the reapings tonight."

"You better be right," Clay answers heavily. "Because you know there's nothing I hate more than a liar."

I say nothing, but instead pull out my bow, and notch an arrow. Next to me Clay is fixing a snare.

Almost immediately, I shoot a rabbit,

After we get some game and the plants my mom had asked for, we sneak back under the hole that I made in the electric gate nearly four years ago. Silently, we make our way through the deserted streets until we reach the nearly established black market called the Hob. It used to be an old coal storage unit, but it serves as a illegal trading place just as well. We get to the very young and attractive Greasy Sae and we hand over some wild dog and katniss tubers to her. She adds them to her soup and gives us a hot, steamy bowl. Clay, the ever polite one, thanks her and I quickly vocalize my appreciation too.

"You're welcome boys," she says, and pats Clay's arm in a friendly manner. go o ur separate ways and into our houses. "Mom! I'm home. And I got your katniss tubes and blackberries." I yell out to the empty house. "Fantastic! Well, go get your reaping clothes out and we shall head out right away!" my mom yells from the kitchen. I bring her the game bag and head to my room to get dressed. I put on a white, ruffled shirt and some black pants. I head downstairs and see my sister in a small yellow dress, blonde hair waving before her head, and my mother in a light blue dress. We leave the house and to the square, where we see most of District 12 standing and ready to be chosen to fight to their death. I get into the 14 boy line and I see Clay right in front of me. An attractive, about 20 year old lady in pink and blue walks out and tells us her name ("Effie Trinket") and she begins to call the girls from a bowl of names. I sigh in relief as my twelve year old sister doesn't get called and I see my mother hold her heart in relief. I look up as Effie calls the name of some boy and looks around to find him. I look around and the name comes to my mind more clearly. Clay Hawthorne. The boy is in front of me.

I watch as Clay turns around to me and mouths the word "liar" and walks hesitantly to the stage where the young Effie and handsome Mayor Undersee sit.

Liar.

The accusation runs through my head and bounces around like a ball.

Liar.

I am a liar. I told him he wouldn't get chosen.

And he won't.

Before I know what I am doing, I run from the line yelling, "Me! Me! I volunteer!"

Clay looks at me in shock and when I pass him on my way to the stage, I whisper, "I don't lie."

And suddenly, it hits me. What I've done.

Because what I have done will mean almost certain death.

The next things that happen I couldn't tell. My world is in a daze, and everything has a weird, muted feel about it. I can only hear the thudding of my own heart, and the echo of the words, "Me! Me! I volunteer!"

I feel a hand pushing me towards the doors of the Justice Building. A place I have never seen. Normally, the idea of seeing it would have excited me. But this isn't normal. I am now a tribute.

Tribute.

The word rolls off my tongue. It feels strange, even foreign. But definitely not a word I would use to describe myself. And that's just the thing. Now that is the word to describe me.

"Courtney, over here," says Effie, pushing a girl with long dark hair into a room. It takes a minute before the name registers. A daughter of a merchant, somehow related to the Undersees. But other than that, I have no idea who she is.

After she is lead away, a Peacekeeper rudely shoves me into a similar deserted room. I know this is where I will make my final goodbyes. Because there will be no coming back.

The first person to walk in is Clay. His face is paper white, and his hands are shaking. We stand there in stunned silence, which I break cautiously.

"Well, I am not a liar," I say.

Clay doesn't say anything, and I start to get the impression that he is angry with me. I know my time with him is winding down, so I ask about my mother and sister.

"Your mother collapsed after you volunteered, she is still trying to be revived. Annabelle ran from the crowd, and no one can find her just yet."

The news that I won't see my family one last time is like a blow to the stomach. Now I face death utterly alone.

"Why?" Clay asks abruptly.

"Why what?"

But I will never get to know what he wanted to know because he is ushered out of the room. And then I am left to wait for another ten minutes until Effie quietly knocks on my door. Maybe she is expecting me to have tears streaming down my face, or to be screaming in denial, but when she walks in she looks like she is interrupting a funeral.

"We are ready for you," she whispers, beckoning me to get up. I do, and follow her, where Courtney is waiting. Her face is red and blotchy. It is only too obvious she has been crying.

Together, we board a train and I walk to a seat by myself, away from the others. The numbness has worn away, and instead of fear, I just feel tired. I want it all to be over with.

Leaning my head against a cold window, I watch as District 12 disappears before my eyes. Everything that has happened today begins to run through my mind. From the tense feelings of this morning, to the emptiness I feel now. Maybe it's I just haven't registered what just happened. It'll hit full force soon.

I get called down to a lounge room where I sit with Effie, and our last victor, a slightly aging man with graying hair, with piercing gray eyes, and Courtney Hanes. We watch recaps of the reaping from each District. I watch people try to wave to their families, friends. I watch some people that have nobody to even look at. I see a boy and girl, Cane Gage and Glitter Sole, from District 1 smile as they get reaped, and the girl and boy from 2, Aden and Cher, quickly volunteer. The thought is sickening to me. They are actually excited by the idea of killing twenty-three other innocent people.

The reapings continue. Among the memorable is the girl from 3, Taylin Jewels, who seems confused. But I notice that she is extremely pretty. And those are the girls that get the most sponsors.

Another District, 4, the two tributes, Aqua and Maygan, actually high five on stage. This gives me the impression that the two are just as hungry for bloodlust as the tributes from Districts 1 and 2, which makes them even more intimating. A boy from 6, Mitchell Plaster, slowly sways up the stage. He looks scared and small, but something about him reminds me of Clay. Maybe it's the dark hair. Or the olive skin. But whatever it is, it makes an eerie impression. A rather large boy from 7, Reese Moors, intimates me by his sheer size. He has to be at least 6'2, and he looks around two-hundred pounds of pure muscle. As his name is called, he just simply nods, as if resigned at his fate. The tribute from 8, a girl named Second Chance, tears up but slowly walks up to her stage and doesn't resist as she is escorted from her hysterical parents. The glint in her eye and the she carries herself makes me uneasy, even through her tears. The last reaping before ours shows Amber Gase, a dark skinned girl with wide eyes, who has to have help exiting the stage by a few Peacekeepers because she looks as if she is about to faint.

Soon enough, they show Courtney get reaped and they show me volunteering for Clay. I hear the strain in my voice and the see the almost maniac expression I have on my face as I take his place. I hear the shrill scream of my mother. I see the countless faces, dumbstruck at my sacrifice. And I see the bewildered face of Clay, which briefly changes to relief, and then back to terror as he realizes that I have volunteered. While watching, I get the pounding in ears again, and I have to excuse myself. The scarce breakfast that I had seems to be bent on making a reappearance.

"I need to go," I gasp, leaving without permission. But no one stops me and I run into a door labeled "Male Tribute."

Once I am alone in the dark room, the faces of all the other reaped children haunt me. I see some crying, I see some triumphant. And among those I see one winner. And I know it won't be me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two- Ceremonial Flames  
Soon enough, I am off of the train and into the shining Capitol. This place is amazing, from the buildings that cut the sky and seem endless to the sleek, modern cars that cut through the neatly paved streets. Citizens in colorful purses and wigs point to our train excitedly. I peer out at them, and the crowd goes wild. Their response frightens me, so I pull my face back and the cheers quiet down a bit. Across the room, I see Courtney giving me a dirty look, one of distrust. She obviously thinks that I am enjoying this. That this is why I volunteered. The very thought makes my insides wither in shame.

My time to admire the scene is cut short as the train stops at the station and I am literally dragged out. Cameras snap our pictures, their flash momentarily blinding me. I had never ad my picture taken, because District 12 doesn't have any. And I am thankful we don't, because these things really agitate me.

Effie leads us into a futuristic looking room where the doors are invisible to the naked eye and open as you approach them.

"You will now meet your prep team, and your stylists. Courtney, your team will meet you here. Jamie, follow the staircase and make a left. Your team is already in the Prep Room.

I follow her instructions and end up in a well-lit room with shelves and shelves of what I can only assume are beauty products. I touch the nearest one, a can labeled "Body Polish." The name makes me cringe.

A light skinned man with purple lip stick and bouncing orange hair comes in and introduces himself as Flavius. He tells me about his life, including a funny story about how shrimp at his nineteenth birthday party, which was last Saturday, spilled everywhere and his streamers fell on his best friends Octavia and Venia. As he is talking, I am made to take off my clothes. I feel uncomfortable, but Flavius doesn't notice. Instead he hands me a white cloak, which I gratefully put on.

He seems shallow, but then again most Capitol people are. Overall, I think I like him though.

Next, the two girls from his story walk into the room; they are laughing and giggling over some absurd fashion.

"Oh my God you are just the cutest thing ever! Aren't you? Aren't you?" exclaims a woman with a sickly greenish tinge as she pinches my cheek and wiggles it. I gently move her hand away and she smiles sheepishly, showing her pearly white teeth. The other girl with spiky blue hair and gold tattoos around her eyes, Veina, grabs a waxing strip and before I have time to ask what's going on, and smacks it onto my leg and rips it off, removing all the hairs from my knee to the middle of my calf.

"OUCH!" I yell, not expecting the assault.

"Oh you are just so hairy!" she says with girly laugh.

Hairy? I'm 14 and one of the least hairy people in 12. I watch fearfully as she dips another strip in wax and rips off the rest of the hair on my leg off. I honestly pass out form pain but am quickly come back to conscious to the sound of shrill sounding laughs and "Stops it's!" and "He is so hairy's!"

Well then. Uncalled for.

I open my eyes slowly and see a pea green woman with spiked hair standing by a woman who is thin and has aqua hair. Plus she has some weird tattoos above her eyes. Capitol fashions, my goodness.

They greet themselves as they work on me. I learn that Octavia is the the pea green one, and Venia has the aqua hair. I say a quiet greeting and a wave of my right hand.

Flavius removes my cloak of white, which makes me turn a deep shade of red, then begins to remove the rest my body hair. By time he is done, it feels like I am missing two layers of skin.

Venia shampoos and conditions my hair then cuts it short. It's different, but I like it. Veina says it brings out my grey eyes.

Octavia finishes my nails, which are now trimmed, polished, and rounded at the tops.

After an awkward twenty minutes, Octavia and Venia say goodbye, give me a very tight hug, then are off, but Flavius stays and examines me from head to toe. He asks if I'm afraid of sparks and fire and I give a very cautious shake of my head, indicating I'm not, and he smiles from ear to ear. Flavius rubs his hands together and gives a very high, "Fantastic!"

He then smacks me across the face and leaves the room. I hold my cheek and stare at the now closing door with surprise, shock, and the fact a nineteen year old just smacked me. I take in the fact that my body is raw, and my head hurts from the vigorous scrubbing.

Well. This isn't fun. Not at all.

I cautiously put my clothes back on and leave the room to find Effie. When I do, I find she is screaming at people for not following a strict schedule then smiles at me joyfully.

"Jamie! You look so handsome and spiffy!" she says excitedly. I smile weakly at her complement.

"Where are you off to?" she continues, in her cheery voice. I am quickly finding out that this lady and her constant positivity is annoying.

"Well, um, I don't really know," I say as I look around, "Where's my room?"

Effie's face tenses up and she gives me a look that makes me think she might smack me across the face like Flavius did. "Oh my gosh. I FORGOT TO TELL YOU GUYS YOUR ROOMS! Ah!" she yells in anger and she begins to bawl her eyes out.

"E...Eff….Effie," I say as I try to calm her down between sobs. "Effie…Eff….Effie where's my room?" I say with somewhat frustration and impatience.

"R-r-room 421…F-floor 12…," she manages say to me. I thank her and walk to an elevator, clicking 12, and secretly glad to be rid of my eccentric prep team. I watch the doors slide together silently. Turning around, I see the thousands of people walking beneath me through the glass elevator windows. I watch one drop her wig and quickly place it back on, looking around to make sure nobody saw, and another man put some light green lipstick on his lips, matching his completely light green outfit. I am so busy watching them that I don't notice that the elevator doors have been open for quite some time. I shrug and walk out.

"421…421…421….Found it!" I say as I look for the room. I open the door, or try to, and it slides open to a white room that reminds me somewhat of the sterile white rooms they put crazy people in. Walking in, I look around and see a sliding looking thing, a bed, bathroom, a shower with many buttons, and a closet. I slump into my bed, exhausted, and fall into deep, deep sleep.

The next thing I know, Effie has stopped sobbing and is now knocking on my door, telling me, "It's going to be a big, big, big day!"

I sit up with a jolt and when I hear her voice I groan and fall back, my head resting on my pillow, and my eyes begin to adjust to the light that is shining into the room from a window. I remove my covers and throw my legs off the bed. I slip my feet into some newly placed slippers and stand up from my warm, comfy, welcoming bed and walk into the cold, white bathroom. I brush my teeth using a toothbrush and toothpaste that has been left out for me. Then I remove my clothes and walk into the shower, yawning. I begin to experiment with the hundreds of buttons and figure out that when you click the fourth button from the left, which releases a sweet smelling scent, like a tropical breeze, the second button from that one, which makes the water come down harder, the next one after that, which makes the water come faster, and the twenty first button from the right, which shampoos and scrubs your body down for you, you get the best shower, in my opinion. I hear Adam, my mentor, knocking on my door to come and eat breakfast, so I step from the shower and click a yellowish button that sends quick waves of warm, fast, of heat and it dries you within thirty seconds. I walk from the shower and put on a red pajama shirt, comfy pants that have strings at the waistband, and my fuzzy, white slippers. Next, I walk from the room and amble my way to the dining room, where I already see Adam, Effie, Flavius, Courtney, a girl with crazy red hair and deep black lipstick and eye shadow, and a red haired boy that Effie calls an Avox. An Avox is a criminal of the Districts or the Capitol that are punished by having the tongues cut so they cannot talk. They must serve the needs of the tributes as well and they work around the Capitol.

I sit down and a plate of hot eggs, juicy sausage, and some chocolaty liquid that is very sweet and sugary. Delicious.

"What is this?" I ask the table as I point to the cup of chocolate.

"That's hot chocolate silly!" says Effie with a laugh and a move of a hand. I look at her in horror and silently ask, "W…what are you doing?" She giggles again, but ignores me.

I quickly finish my food and leave the room, afraid of these colored creeps, and I go back to my room. I'm very quickly interrupted of my peace by Flavius, who forces me back to the Prep Room, where he waxed every hair of my body off.

"Okay, so what do you think of…..this." he says as he whips out a black, metallic suit that has a spiked collar that sticks beyond the head.

"I….um….what is it?" I ask in curiosity. He smiles and laughs, a very, very creepy laugh that makes me jump back at first. "Oh silly!" he begins. Why is everybody calling me silly? "It's your ceremony suit!" "What….um…what does it do?" I ask, very confused. To me, it looks like a spiked urchin.

"Let me show you!" he says with excitement. Excitement that makes me want to run from the room. He forces me into the suit, with much struggling at first because I refuse to die earlier than I have to. I reach my limit when he removes a lighter from his pocket though.

"Whoa there bud! Back away," I say fearfully, backing away.

"Oh, shut up and move your hands." He says impatiently. I lower my hands slowly, and he sets the fire on top of the suit. At first, nothing happens.

It takes about five minutes of anxious waiting, and then the spikes at the top of the suit begin to spark. They look like fireworks as they change color and shimmy down the spikes and onto the body of the suit. As they reach my shaking body, they blast into full out red and orange flames. There is the occasional blue, but other than that, it's all orange and red.

And it's fantastic.

I look towards Flavius, who is clapping his hands together. I can't help but grin as he excitedly yells, "I call it, 'Ceremonial Flames'!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three- Great, great work.  
Ceremonial Flames.

Just the name sounds exciting.

"Anyway, do you think that Caesar Flickerman will like it?" Flavius asks anxiously, critiquing his work from a distance.

"I…he…who?" I ask curiously. The name rings a bell, someone that has to do with a previous Hunger Games… Maybe a Gamemaker?

Flavius's jaw drops and he smacks his palm onto his face. He begins to slowly bring it down his face, smearing his purple lipstick and eye shadow all over his face.

"Boy," Flavius sighs, "Caesar Flickerman is the host of the Hunger Games. He interviews the tributes before training."

"Ooooh! Him? Eh. He's weird so he might like it." I say with a shrug. Flavius pulls out two more suits and throws one at me. "Get dressed while I get Courtney in this one. Ceremonies start tomorrow." Flavius walks away, shaking his head and murmuring under his breath. I catch a bit of it as he goes.

"Doesn't know who Caesar Flickerman is? I swear, tributes these days…"

Eh. He'll live.

I leave the room too, and go to my own, stroking the texture of the suits in my arms. I'm feeling the tip of the spikes when a tribute walks from the elevator and bumps into me.

"Watch where you're going 12!" says this girl that I recognize to be from 8.

"Why are you on my floor anyways, 8?" I ask angrily, furious that this tribute can just bump into ME on MY floor!

"None of your business, James," says the girl stiffly. Her name is Second, if I recall.

"Its Jamie. Now leave my floor." I snap, pushing her behind me. She runs up and pushes me back against the wall.

"Look 12, get in my way and I'll rip you apart. Got that?" Second snarls as she sprays my face with saliva. I push the girl off of me.

"Ditto," I say in an equally ugly voice. After glaring at each other, I leave to go back to my room. Stupid girl. She better hope that I don't catch her without her District partner or allies or she'll get an arrow in the back. I roll my eyes and slump down on my soft, fluffy, white bed. I just want to sleep. And sleep I do.

I wake up with the suit on my face and my feet on my pillow, my head on the foot of the bed. What happened? Eh, who cares? I stand up and rub my eyes as they adjust to the light that's flowing into the room. I yawn and stretch then stand up and go to the cool bathroom. Taking a detour from the toothpaste and toothbrush, and I step sleepily into the shower and click the buttons that I find to make the experience the best. Unconsciously, I begin to sing a song that my father taught me when he was still in condition to hunt:

"Are you, are you, coming to the tree? Where they strung up a man they say murdered three…" I apply some shampoo and wash my hair. "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met up at midnight at the Hanging Tree."

Soon enough, I've finished my shower, and I get dressed, brush my teeth with the Capitol tools, and leave my room with the ceremony suit. I'm walking around, looking into doors for Flavius, when I run into a very agitated Effie as she rounds a corner.

"There you are! Come, come with me!" she shrieks as she grabs my hand and leads me down some stairs, an elevator, and into a room where I see at least a dozen horse drawn carriages and the other tributes.

"Whats going o-,"

Effie cuts me off by shoving me into a room with a VERY irritated Flavius.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Flavius asks angrily. I can tell he is upset; his usually neat orange locks are disheveled.

"I was showering. Why?" I ask him, a bit confuse. Flavius sighs, evidently trying to compose himself and leaves the room, shouting over his shoulder, "Get dressed quickly then head outside. You have a minute!" He slams the door shut behind him, leaving me to get dressed. I quickly change, scared that the usually nice and care-free Flavius will shoot me in the face if I'm late.

I walk out of the room, the suit now clinging very close to me, and I see the nineteen year-old holding a lighter and constantly looking at his watch.

"F-Flavius I'm ready." I say, trembling with fear that he might back hand me across the face again. But the thing that is really rattling me is the hundreds of thousands that eagerly wait to see me. Me, the boy from District 12, on fire. Literally.

"Wonderful. Now get over here so I can set you on fire," he says with his eyebrows furrowed into a V shape. I cautiously walk over to him and he sets the spikes on the suit on fire. He does the same to the waiting Courtney and pushes us into a carriage. I don't even have time to ask anything when the horses begin moving and the Capitol crowd comes into view. They are like a multi-colored flock of geese, squawking over their favorites like bits of bread.

At this point, I am quavering like a leaf. I can feel the eyes turning towards me, drinking in my burning form. And I don't like it. Slowly, I turn my head to see if the other tributes are as nervous as I am, because I can barely hold on to the metal bar in front of me made for support.

The strong, scary girl from 1 is wearing a bejeweled dress and her partner is wearing the same thing just in tuxedo form. The girl from 8, who started crying as she was reaped but displayed an angry side yesterday, is wearing a dress with many different colored textiles. Kind of expected, since she's from 8, the textile District. Others are wearing things from trees to nothing but fish nets. I hear a buzzing sound and realize the sparks have begun to travel down the spikes of my collar and onto the body of the suit. A man with purple hair and green lipstick points to me and Courtney and begins to yell, "Look! Look at District 12!" Slowly, heads begin to turn and people make sounds of appreciation and jealousy. Tributes are also looking at us, admiring Flavius's work. And something changes inside of me. I start to think that I am liking the "ooh's" and "ahh's". I like the wild cheers that erupt as soon as I raise a timid hand.

"Oh Flavius," I think. "Him and his great, great work."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four- Pair of Fighters  
After the ceremony and the many "Ooo!" 's and "Ahh!" 's, I go to my room and remove the black suit that has been charred and is somewhat smoking. I go under the covers in my under clothes, thinking about the tributes and what their stories are. One of them is from 12. Another person from home to kill. I sigh and shut my eyes tightly, trying to fall into a sleep.  
Images from other Games and the decapitated bodies, people being ripped apart, blown up, shot in the eyes and head, sneak into my dreams and I jolt up, sweating. I look around and it seems that it's about 10 o' clock in the morning. I stretch my arms out, shut my eyes tightly, and yawn. I get up, itching my butt, and head to the bathroom. I do a quick 5 minute shower, brush my teeth, and head down the hall to eat breakfast. Once I get there I see Adam, Effie, and Courtney eating pancakes, eggs, and some different drinks. I sit down and order a waffle and mocha. I'm looking at a very shiny glass chandelier when Adam sets his bright red wine down, wipes his mouth, and looks at me and Courtney seriously.

"Here's the plan. I want you guys to go into training today and get as much practice in every section as possible. Make allies with-  
"I don't want allies." I say as I cut him off.  
"I don't care if you don't want allies. You will do as I say and you wi-  
"I said I don't want them."  
Adams face becomes red and he throws a wobbly fist and I catch it in my hand. He grabs a butter knife from the plate next to mine and slices at my face, but he fails to get me as I duck down and throw him back. Adam grabs a plate but is unable to throw it at me as Courtney throws a fork at it, breaking the plate. "Well, looks like we got a pair of fighters this year." He says with a grin. I roll my eyes and eat my waffle as it is brought to me with my chocolaty mocha. I add two sugar cubes and begin to mix the mocha, glaring at Adam. "Well. It looks like its time," Effie says as she checks her watch. "Let's go." Effie begins to lead us to the elevator and starts to board it with us when Adam holds her back. "They'll look like idiots if you go down there with them," Adam says with a wink. "Have fun," Adam clicks a button and the door shuts. Me and Courtney make next to no talk during the elevator ride. Quite awkward actually. When the doors finally open we walk out to see we are the second to last ones. The only District missing is District 7. The training instructor begins without them because we are running out of time. She introduces herself as Atala and she shows us each section. Atala releases us and I head to the close combat section, not having any talent in that, it may be good to have some idea of it. I get to fight the instructor and he shows me some moves like the headlock and the scissor kick. He also shows me how to snap someone's neck. After about half an hour of this, I go to the ax section so I can practice a bit more. I grab a golden ax then run up to a silvery gray dummy that has some weird stickers on it. Spinning, I slice its head off in a diagonal line and I place my ax in the dummy's right breast. I grab the handle of the ax and kick the dummy off of it. I toss the ax in the air and it begins to spin but is caught quickly by another tribute. The District 7 boy I think. "Don't even try 12! Everyone knows Ill be getting the ax since Im from 7!" the boy begins with a cocky smile, "Stick to a shovel or something." The boy walks off and I grab another ax, bronze this time, and I throw it at the side of his head. The ax lands into a close combat mat and the boy turns around. "Watch your back, 12," he says with a tone of seriousness. Hmm. Two threats already. Not looking to great on my part. Eh, whatever. I turn to a spear throwing section and I jog over to it, almost tripping over a lone bottle of paint on the way. I reach the spears and grab a sleek, wooded spear and begin to toss it slightly and grasping it again. I push my arm back and run forward. I throw my arm forward, letting the spear fly at another dummy's forehead. I grin and walk away since I won't even use a spear. I walk over to the edible plants station and I ace it with ease. I yawn and look at the clock, seeing we only have 5 minutes, I stand up and walk to the door. I lean against the frame and look around. Soon enough Atala releases us to lunch and I sit by myself since Courtney has gotten quite close with the boy tribute from District 9. Stupid girl. You're not supposed to get attached. I sigh and eat my food quickly.  
This goes on for 3 more days and soon enough we have our private sessions with the Gamemakers where we can show them our greatest skills and we hope they will allow us to have a weapon we can use to our advantage. I wake up earlier than Effie, Courtney, and the other tribute whose name is Storm according to a girl from 4. Adam has his head on the dining table and a glass of wine by his head. I sit down silently and stare at him, saying a silent, "Thank you" as an Avox brings me some fruit with sugar, a waffle, and some bologna. I eat about five circles of bologna and Adam raises his head slightly, moaning. "Morning sunshine," I say with a grin as I chew my last circle of bologna. Adam rises up quickly and accidentally knocks his glass of red wine over the nice spread on top of the table. I give a chuckle and he groans at me.  
"Jamie…When you go to your private session, please don't make a fool of yourself," he says with a frown.  
The smile fades from my face and I roll my eyes. "I won't. Maybe you should keep your eye on Courtney. She's getting too attached to Dayne," I say as I rip a piece from my waffle with my teeth.  
"Who?"  
"The tribute from 9."  
"Oh. I'll try to talk to her."  
I nod my head as finish my fruit and I stand up, brushing my hands on my pants. "Well, off to the tribute breakfast," I say as I stretch my arms. Adam nods and I leave the room and to the elevator. I stand onto the metal plate and click some button I remember Adam clicking then the door shuts and I slide downward. I look around as Capitol citizens walk around beneath me. The door opens and I slowly walk out and to the dining room where half the tributes are already gone. Oops. I see Courtney and Dayne and realize why they weren't at breakfast.  
I begin to order all kinds of food, ranging from a light pink soup to blue stew. I begin with a small roll of hot bread and lamb stew. My eyes begin to roll as I take a first bite. It's like nothing I've ever had in my life. It's…it's…it's delicious. I have about one bowl of pink soup, one bowl of light green stew, a cup of lavender colored juice, and another bowl of lamb stew. Once I believe Im done, an Avox puts hot chocolate in front of me and waits for something. "Is there a problem?" I ask as I look around. Courtney leans over and tells me it's time for dessert. I've only had dessert once in my life, and it was a small thing of chocolate. My eyes meet the Avox's and ask for a chocolate cake of any kind. Im brought a small foam looking cake and I cut it in half. Hot, steaming chocolate spills from the middle and I gape. I begin to dig into the cake and stuff myself. After that, I start to order delicacies such as another foam cake, cheesecake, strawberries dipped into white chocolate, steaming, soft cookies, and two cups of chocolate.  
Only after my two cups of hot chocolate do I notice that the tributes are all gone but me and Courtney, who is called down right then. Soon after, I get called down to the training room for my private training for the Gamemakers, and I slowly stand and walk over to the elevator. I click the last button on the panel and the elevator doors slide together and I begin to descend. Butterflies fill my stomach and I play with my fingers nervously as I begin to think of what I will do for the Gamemakers. I could maybe shoot? Maybe use an ax? Oh, or I could…..um…..climb around? I start to look around and wait till the doors will finally slide open. It feels like hours till the doors open again and the Gamemakers seem bored after watching twenty three other tributes. I walk forward, bow, then go over to the bow and arrow station. After years of getting food for my family, helping Clay's family, and getting herbs and meat for Greasy Sae, I easily shoot arrows into the forehead of 2 dummies. Deciding this isn't enough, I grab an ax and stare at a dummy that has an arrow into its forehead, just like the other one, and I focus on the arrow. I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. The insult from the District 7 tribute comes back to me. "Stick to a shovel or something!" I begin to burn up and when I open my eyes, I quickly throw the golden ax at the arrow, hitting it from the back and splitting it in half. I smile in success and look up to see about ¾'s of the Gamemakers smiling. The others are eating from the almost empty buffet. I am dismissed and I literally skip from the room, smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, I've been on Pottermore and I've been ill.**

Chapter 5- Almost There  
I watch as Clay and I shoot some rabbits and collect plants and berries, laughing at jokes as we do. We slip under the hole in the electric fence and enter the Hob several moments later, laughing. We give Greasy Sae some meat and get a bit of steaming soup. I feel something jab my elbow and I wake up from my dream about District 12 with a jerk. I look over to see I hit my elbow against the corner of a bedside table. I groan and lay back down, eyes open. Something in me stirs and I clutch my stomach, frowning. I feel scared….nervous. Why am I nervous though? I don't know. I slide from my bed and get into my fluffy, white slippers. I lazily move to the bathroom, yawning like crazy, and I wash my face more than necessary. I climb into the shower and quickly bathe, eager to go to breakfast and talk to Adam, Courtney, and Effie. I leave the shower and dry myself, climb into pajamas, and leave the room with my hair still dripping. I remember my private training with the Gamemakers from yesterday and I light up, wanting to tell someone.  
"Adam! Adam! Adam!" I yell as I push open the gold double doors that lead into the dining room. "Shhh!" Adam says with a finger to his lip, "We're watching the scores."  
"Oh, cool. What District are you at?" I ask as I sit on the edge of a long, white couch.  
"District 4," Adam says as he is glued to the TV.  
"And the score for Maygan is, 9!" announces a reporter that looks like an elf. I watch as the Districts go by, 5 then 6 then 7. Finally, the girl from 8's face appears and she has the number 10 by her name. I watch as District 9, 10, and 11 go by slowly. Finally 12 appears and there, up on the screen, is my face. "And the score for Jamie is…" the elf-like reporter starts," 11!" Eleven. That's my score for throwing an ax into an arrow. I look around as Adam has his head cocked and is open mouthed. Courtney is smiling and giving me a thumbs up and Effie is freaking out. "OH MY GOD JAMIE IM SO PROUD!" She cries out loud. My praises get interrupted by the sound of the elf announcing Courtney's score. "And the score for Courtney is, 7!" the elf man says. I stare at Courtney and Adam, not knowing if its good or not. Courtney jumps up and smiles. "Yes! I was hoping for more than a 5!" she exclaims. Adam smiles and hugs her and we move to the table to eat a little bit. Adam forces me and Courtney to tell him what our sessions were like. This is kind of fun. Well, as much fun Ill have till I have to kill children.  
As I stand to leave the dining room, Adam grasps my hand and asks, "Where are you going?"  
"Well, I'm going to step into a closet and go into a far distant universe with talking lions and magical people," I say sarcastically.  
Adam just looks at me darkly and mutters, "No, really."  
"Why?" I ask him as I remove my arm from his hand.  
"Well, you have interviews in one hour. And you have to meet up with Flavius now," Adam says dryly, clearly annoyed with me.  
"Oh," I say, not knowing any of this information.  
"Well, you need to know something for your interviews." Adam says with a stern voice.  
"And what is that?" I say, gloomily.  
"You need a good approach. Since you aren't funny, smart, a people person, sexy-"  
I cut Adam off from insulting me with a very firm, "Hey! I am all those things! I am a clever, fun, charming-"  
"Boy you have as much charm as one of these creatures from the Capitol!" Adam says with a flick of his wrist. That hurt. That hurt a lot. "Whatever. Try to think of something," he says and I slump out of the room and towards Flavius's prepping room.  
I slowly walk through the sliding door and I see Flavius putting some purple lipstick on in front of a mirror. He sees my reflection in the mirror and puts his lipstick into his pants pocket. He whips around and embraces me into a tight, claustrophobic hug."Jamie! Good to see you! Let's get right to work!" he says in a high, shrill voice. I sit down in this white chair as Flayre, Venia and Octavia, Flavius's best friends, walk in and help Flavius.  
"Oh my gosh! Did you guys see what Sheilly was wearing?" Octavia suddenly bursts out.  
"Oh my, that thing was horrendous! That fluffy, fish net with clams?" Flavius responds as he throws his arms up.  
"No, that was Flayee, Flavius. Sheilly was wearing a completely gray and black, leopard print dress." Venia corrects him.  
"Oh that? I actually thought it was nice! Needed more purple and orange though."  
"Really? Flavius, that thing was something I wouldn't even dry myself with."  
"Oh Octavia it wasn't THAT bad! Not like Seneca's red and green tuxedo at his birthday."  
"Oh my gosh that was so ugly! The only thing that made that party worse was the lack of shrimp and strobe lights," Venia says. The conversation slowly fades away as I block out their Capitol conversation.  
After about 40 minutes, Flavius forces me into his suit that he calls "Ceremonial Flames" and he, Octavia, Flayre and Venia lead me to a poorly lit, gloomy, storage like room where I see Adam, Effie, Courtney, and her prep team standing on a metal plate, looking at us as we walk in. "Hurry! The plate is about to rise in 10 minutes!" Effie yells as he waves his hand forward. We jog onto the plate and when I ask Adam where we are, he tells me we are under the stage and about to go up to our interviews. My stomach fills with butterflies as the plate rises just then, as if on cue. I hear the clapping and screaming of the audience and the fun voice of Caesar Flickerman, a handsome man of the age 20. As our plate reaches the stage, Caesar announces everyone from Adam, to Venia. He introduces me and Courtney and we go to take a seat by the District 11 tributes. I watch the tributes from all the Districts go up and have their 3 minute interviews. They're all sexy, smart, clever, fun, funny, cute, stubborn, fierce, and I'm just sitting on my red chair, having my dead slug charm.  
Next thing I know, Courtney is nudging me in the back as the Capitol audience claps and Caesar Flickerman is smiling at me. I know they called my name and I must've blocked it out. I slowly stand up, shaking like a rattle, and I make my way to the red, plush chair in the middle of the stage. I take a seat and I smile at Caesar.  
"So, Jamie, how do you feel about your incredible 11?" Caesar says with a huge smile, showing off his pearly teeth.  
"Well, to be completely honest Caesar, I'm not sure. I thought I would get a 6 or 7 but an 11? I just don't know." I say to him with a smile. I imagine myself speaking to Clay. I find it so much easier. The Capitol crowd bursts into cheers and yells and Caesar quiets them down once more.  
"Ah, I see. How is the Capitol life treating you?"  
"Well, I can tell you one thing, the hot chocolate is out of this world."  
"The hot chocolate? Hahaha! You don't have that in 12?" Caesar asks with a smile. I cock my head to the side and furrow my eyebrows. Surely he knows the answer to this.  
"N-no we don't," I say as I think of everyone back home.  
"Oh, too bad. Well, anything you would like to say to your fellow tributes?" he asks once more, softening up a bit. This is my chance. To be fierce, aggressive, sexy, flirtatious, or anything I could think of. Fierce. I must be fierce.  
"Yes, I would actually. Watch out. I will find you, kill you, and leave you to rot," I say to the camera. The audience goes quiet and Caesar just stares at me. "Too far?" I say to the silence. The crowd bursts into hoots, laughter, yells, cheers, and things that make me smile. A buzzer goes off and Caesar, taps me on the back, laughing. "Jamie Everdeen everyone!" I thank Caesar and leave the stage. It's over. All that's left is the Games. The Games…I'm almost there. Almost there…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- The Games Todays the day I'll be going into the arena. The day I'll be up against 23 other teens, waiting for the gong to sound so they can grab the supplies that will allow them to survive these Games. I rise from my bed and take a shower then head to the breakfast table and start shoving food down since it's the last meal Ill have for who knows how long. I look up and see Courtney's lip trembling and I turn to see what shes looking at and I see Effie tearing up. Who knew. Not everyone from the Capitol are the same. "I-I-I am going t-t-t-to m-miss you g-guys so m-much…" Effie says through tears and a croaky voice. Adam pats her back and look at me and I can tell he's holding back tears as well. Courtney bursts into tears and my eyes water up. I always cry when other people cry. I quickly, my hand shaking uncontrollably, stuff the rest of my orange juice and eggs down before tears slip into them. Soon a Peacekeeper enters and nods his head. Its time. My insides are about to burst. Out of nowhere Effie slams me and Courtney together and gives huge, wet, tight hug. We hug her back, Courtney crying a lot, and Effie lets go. "P-please w-win," Effie says as she tries to control herself. I nod and say, "We'll try hard." Adam hugs me and Courtney, gentler than Effie, and gives us our first piece of advice. "Look for water, trees, food, shelter, anything you can find. Got it?" We nod and he says, "One more thing. …Stay alive." We nod once more and are taken away to separate rooms that have nothing but a bench and a tube. I see a black jacket, green shirt, beige shorts, and black hunting boots all laid out on the bench. I suppose I should get dressed and I do when Flavius walks in and smiles at me. He embraces me into a hug and looks at me. "You can do it. I believe in you," he says. "You do? Really?" I ask and he nods. "Yes. Actually, if I could, I would be betting on you," he says in a pearly white smile. "Thank you…," I whisper as 2 Peacekeepers walk in and nod to the tube. It begins to open and Flavius walks me over to it. I stand on the silver plated bottom and look at him. A glass cylinder begins to drop over me and Flavius smiles once more. "Remember, I'm betting on you." Then the glass cylinder covers me and all sound is gone. Slowly, ever so slowly, the plate rises upwards and I'm concealed in all darkness. When light seeps in, I begin to see the view of the arena. A lake on my right, forest behind me, plains on the left of me, the Cornucopia in front of me, and unknown things lie behind the forest most likely. I get my first full view of all the tributes and something hits me. These people may be big, but are they fast? Guess we'll find out soon enough. I count down the remaining 10 seconds as I get ready to run. 5…, 4…., 3…, 2…, 1… The gong rings and I burst into a quick sprint. I look around and I see that I was wrong and all the tributes are all almost as fast as me. I see a teal backpack in front of me and I lunge forward and clutch the strap. I'm lucky enough that nobody else grabs the pack and I look around for a weapon. In my search attempt for a bow or ax, I watch a tribute from 1 as he slices a tributes arm off and he looks at me. We stand there, just staring at each other, when I get side tackled onto the ground. I whip my head to the side to see the boy from 9, Dayne, sitting on top of me with a knife in hand. He has an evil smirk on his face and begins to speak in a slightly squeaky, evil tone. "I got rid of your little friend Courtney," Dayne says with a grin. No. No, I refuse to believe it! He killed Courtney! I lay there with my mouth opened wide as the bloodbath continues. He begins to lower the slender knife to my throat when I punch him in the face. He slides from my body and I roll to the side and stand up, ready to kill. He stands quickly and rubs his hand at his lip and looks at it finger to see blood. He looks up and smiles and runs forward at me. He slices at me and I duck then grab his arm. I wrench the knife from his cold fingers and kick him back. I hear a crunching, splitting noise and I look up to see that I kicked Dayne onto the sword of the District 1 boy. My mouth gapes in horror as I see the sight in front of me and I begin to shake. My eyes widen as Dayne lets out a bloodcurdling scream and slides from the sword. The boy from 1 is smiling from behind his sword and I back up a little bit. I tumble and trip over some object and the boy approaches me slowly, grinning like a madman. I begin to pray in my mind that anyone, anything, will save me right now from my predicament. And soon enough, my prayers are answered. A District 10 boy tackles the boy onto the ground and they begin to quarrel. I look down to see what tripped and almost killed me and it's a small plastic square that's about a foot all around. I snatch it up and turn then run from the Cornucopia, bodies on the ground that threaten to trip me and put me onto trouble once more. I continue to run away from the death scene and into the beautiful forest. It's about 300 yards from where I am but I have to keep running no matter what. Courtney is dead and I'm the only chance for 12 to have a victor this year. Im getting about 50 yards closer when my lungs begin to hurt and burn. No, I can't stop now; I have to push through the pain and reach the forest before sun down. I'm 100 yards closer now but my heart aches in pain and agony and begs me to stop and breathe a little bit, but I can't. I'm about 100 yards to the forest when I collapse on the ground and begin retching up eggs and toast. Ugh. I look up and a light orange, not dark orange, but soft, like the sunset, begins to form in the sky. The sun is setting and I'm not in the forest yet. I stand, shaking, and go out into a fast jog, hoping that I don't bring up anymore food. After about half an hour, I reach the forest but I don't stop there. I continue to go through, jumping over logs and ducking under sagging branches, as I attempt to make it to a water source. My heart feels like it's about to burst from my chest so I stand against a tree, breathing like I'll never have air again. I gain my breath and start to run into the green forest life, but I come to a sudden stop when I see a rabbit about 10 yards from me. I decide to follow it because it may lead me to some kind of pond or running stream. As I begin to follow it, my foot crunches on a dead leaf and the rabbit bursts into a fast sprint and I follow it like a Career would a tribute. But, to my despair, the rabbit out runs me and into a maze of trees, so I give up and slump down a trunk of a tree. I close my eyes and sigh, wondering how many tributes are dying for the cannons haven't shot yet. Then, as if on cue, cannons begin to shoot off, each representing one death. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…11…12. Twelve people have died at the bloodbath. I begin to stand when the crunches of leaves and yells startle me back into the trunk. I peek behind it to see a boy, I think from 3, is running from the girl from 8, Second, I believe her name was. He trips over a log and Second pounces him from behind and puts a dagger over his throat. "Say goodbye, District 3. Hahaha!" she laughs and she slits his throat. I put my head back behind the tree and hold my breath as she begins to walk in my direction. The boys cannon shoots as she stops right next to my tree and I can just feel the smile growing on her face. She pokes her head from my left and says, "Found you." I take off into a sprint as she chases me through the forest, laughing like she should be in an asylum. I run through the maze of trees as she stays right on my tail, determined to slit my throat like she did the District 3 boy's. Soon enough, I can no longer hear her footsteps behind me and I turn around find no one. I sigh and when I turn back around, Second's face is in front of me, smiling, as she says, "Boo." I gasp and begin to turn around when she tackles me to the ground. We roll around for a little bit, me pushing her off, her tackling me back down, when we roll down a steep hill. We come off each other as we bounce and fly several feet in the air before hitting the hill again. As I hit the ground with a hard thud, the air gets knocked from me and Second sits on top of me, smiling. I begin struggling to get free when she head butts me. "Uh-uh, District 12, not this time," she says as she twists her dagger. "What are you gonna do? Slit my throat like you did to 3's?" I spit at her. "Oh no! I'm going to have a little fun with you, since you wasted so much of my time," she says with a grin. "You're sick," I say with a disgusted look. She ignores me and begins to glide the blade of her dagger over my forehead, making a cut across. Blood slides down my face when Second is tackled off of me by an unknown savior. I look to the right to see the girl from 3 is on top of Second, punching her roughly. I take this chance to get up and run away, yelling a quick "Thanks," to the girl. I run from the scene and begin to climb a tree as fast as possible. After a minute, I hear a cannon and the hysterical laugh of Second. The District 3 girl has died by saving me, and I feel extremely bad. I raise the middle three fingers of my left hand, bring it to my lips, and raise it to the sky, as a sign of respect. I decide that Second has given up on our little goose chase so I take this chance to discover the contents of my pack. I unzip the teal bag and take out a small bottle of water that's missing one thing. The water. I sigh and shove it back in and search again. I find a small bottle of iodine, a dagger, a sleeping bag, some crackers, and a pack of jerky. I remove the jerk and bite into it, hoping for it to be moist, but it turns out to be dry. Dry, but good. I put it back in my bag, sticking on last piece to chew on as I walk into my mouth, and set off. I walk for hours until night falls and I climb a high tree, lay out my sleeping bag, and strap myself onto the branch using my belt. I look up as I hear the anthem and see the seal of the Capitol, and the pictures of the dead tributes faces show up. Both from 3, one from 5, both from 6, the girl from 7, Seconds District partner form 8 , both from 9 , both from 10, and Courtney my District, 12. Lay my head back and close my eyes, wondering if sleep will overcome me. Tomorrow I'll have to find water. After this quick thought, sleep overpowers me and I doze off. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Desperate

My eyes open quickly and I sit up with a jolt as I hear the bloodcurdling scream of a girl. It doesn't take long before the deafening sound of the cannon boom echoes in the silence. I lay down once more as the Careers moves beneath me, laughing at their last kill. " 'Don't kill me please!'" mocks Second. The boy from 4, Aqua, and the girl from 2, Cher, burst into sick laughter. My body stiffens up as they stop below me, torches illuminating their surroundings.

"I wanna find 12," Second says determinedly.

"Why? He'll die off anyway," Cane from 1 says curiously.

"The little rat escaped from me. Plus, I want him to make pay for making a fool out of me at the Training Center."

I smirk at this memory and continue to hold still until they are about fifty yards away and out of earshot. I let out a breath and unhook myself from the branch. Quickly packing up my things, I slide my knife in my belt, just for easy access. I climb down the tree and hop onto the ground, setting off into the night quickly.

The thick foliage of the forest makes it hard to tell where I'm going, but I know it's opposite the Careers, which is good enough for me. Reaching the hill that me and Second rolled down, I take a break, wiping the sweat off my forehead before taking off again. It seems like forever, between all the jumping over l moldy logs and ducking under branches that threaten to hit me in the head, but I eventually find a good spot to stop. It's a small clearing with a pond, protected by dense trees. Using the last of my strength, I sprint forward and remove my backpack. I quickly shift through the contents of the bag, trying to find the water bottle. I fill it up, and the needed six drops of iodine to purify it. Deciding that it's not worth it to take chances, and I sit down, waiting for half an hour to pass so I can drink. Minutes pass as hours and my mouth begins to dry just thinking about finally sipping the cool water. After thirty minutes have passed, I shake the bottle for about a minute and begin to drink, draining its contents quickly. My thirst now quenched, I fill up the bottle once more, adding iodine, and waiting. Once it is properly treated, I put it back into my pack. Satisfied, I set off again, trying to make as much ground between the Careers and me.

After about two hours of leisurely walking, I begin to feel lightheaded, but I can't figure out why. I'm in fairly good shape; I have water, and have slept. But the answer comes in the form of the loud rumbling my stomach makes. And I decide I have to eat soon.

I realize that the temperature in the arena has hiked up about forty degrees. Sighing, I take off my jacket, wrapping it around my waist, and I continue walking as far away from the Careers as possible. The amount of dots increase as my mouth becomes parched, I become light headed, and the temperature continues to go higher. Soon enough, my eyes begin to hurt so I close them and sit down on a rock, resting my head and eyes. I remove my pack and dig through it, looking for my canteen of water I filled up a while ago. I find the canteen and when I open it, most of the water is gone and I groan. As I pick up the canteen and begin to drink from it, I hear the roaring sound of a cannon. I jump and look around, scared that the tribute was near me. Determining they weren't, I drink the rest of my water, helping my parched mouth, but making it beg for more. I stuff the canteen back into the pack and begin to move once more, sighing as I reach new land. A meadow.

Flowers and grass as far as the eye can see and the occasional tree. I begin to tread through the field of flowers, wondering if there could be any water here since there is plant life around. Pushing through the grass and flowers for an hour, I decide to make camp for the day and start searching tomorrow. I climb the nearest tree as high as I can, and I sit back against the tree, legs on either side of the branch, and my back against the main tree. I close my eyes and I begin to regret drinking the last of my water. As warm as it was, it was delicious.

The sun sets and the moon comes out to greet the tributes, joining the now decreasing temperature. I begin to shake from the cold and take out my sleeping bag, shivering uncontrollably. I struggle myself into it as the anthem of the Capitol plays and I look up. The face of the boy from 11 appears. I sigh and lay back, wishing one of the Careers' faces appeared in the boys place. As this wish processes in my mind, I begin to shiver and shake even more, the sleeping bags warmth achieving almost nothing. I begin to think if other tributes are in this condition too, or maybe they have some generous sponsors, and I shimmy out of my sleeping bag. I shove my sleeping bag inside my pack, put the pack on my shoulders, climb down the tree roughly, my fingers numb from the cold, and hit the ground with a shaky land. I take off my shoes and remove my socks. Holding my socks up, I remove my dagger from the side of the pack and begin to cut holes in the socks, placing my frozen fingers into the holes, heating them.

As I walk through the meadow, wind streaks across my face, biting it as it hits me. Continuing my path through the flower filled meadow, I begin to find things that indicate a water source, such as green plants, more animals, moist leaves and grass spots. Soon Im running through the meadow, desperate for a sign of water. Just as I give up hope and sink to my knees, the annoying sound of drinking, like slurping soup, rings through my ears. I lift my head up to find a deer drinking from a small pond, surrounded by a few trees, almost as if it were made like that so it was concealed. I quickly crawl over, scaring the deer away, and plunge by face into the water, the sense of victory and relief running through my veins. I immediately remove my head from the water, slicking my hair back, and I start to open my pack, removing the camouflaged canteen. My fingers stumble as I try to open the cap, and I start to get frustrated. I wrench the stupid thing open and stick the canteen in the water, filling it up to the rim. I grab my iodine once the canteen has been placed to the side, and I start to put six drops of the water cleanser into the water. I begin to tap on trees, sing, hum, clap, dance, and do anything to keep me busy as the water becomes purified. After thirty long, painful minutes, I chug the water down and repeat the process.

After I fill my canteen the second time, I climb a nearby tree and strap myself in, safe and warm in my sleeping bag.


End file.
